I value my consistency as something that everyone relies on from me. Whether they realize it or acknowledge it. It allows everyone to take me off their list; we don’t need to worry Andrew, he’s good, there’s other people that need more support. For me, it can sometimes feel like you are floating in space; wanting to feel shiny and new and not knowing really where you stand. Breaking out of the feelings these moments generate is an important step towards progress and finding satisfaction.
Remember what got you here
Assuming you look at yourself as successful, it is very important to remember the good things that you have done to this point and double-down on them. Now is not the time to completely change it up; it is totally unnecessary. At times like this, you need your foundation to be strong as it is what is going to continue to hold you up.
There’s always room for retrospection
Perfection is something you strive for, not something you attain absolutely. Self-reflection, constructive feedback from trusted relationships, and an action plan will help break the cycle. Simply, having that action plan starting with an acknowledgement of how you feel and getting the perspective of other, important people in the situation is a great place to start. Building a holistic point-of-view is a critical to knowing the best way to move foward.
Letting things flow opens up possibilities
Holding things back rarely gets you anywhere. There are no bad or wrong feelings1. Finding ways to express yourself to help let things out, for others to understand, and then collectively move forward sets the field up for so many more possibilities.
Like the outcomes of retrospection, flow comes in the form of asking questions and for what you want along with being open to other people’s needs and asks. Remembering that:
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take
– Wayne Gretzky
Checking your pulse
Resetting your understanding of where you are in the bigger picture whenever you feel like you are unsure or that you are missing something is critically important as well. This helps to fortifying your foundation and make sure you are seeing everything clearly.
By no means is this a claim that doing any of this is easy. I struggle with this most of the time. Never sacrifice who you are for anything or anyone. Your consistency is a powerful tool. However, finding strength in understanding and compromise is equally important. Never holding back and letting things take their natural course through consistent checkins means you will always get to the right place, but on the wrong path.